Imagine a state-of-the-art sports venue hosting events while just a few hundred yards away from an arena that was once branded the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ gradually falls apart.
That’s the weird, almost unexplainable reality in Houston, Texas.
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Hundreds of chairs sit under the giant dome that was once a feat of engineering marvelCredit: Getty
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NRG Stadium sits right next door to the abandoned arenaCredit: Getty
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The Astrodome in Houston, Texas during its prime days as a state-of-the-art venueCredit: Getty
NRG Stadium is the official home of the NFL’s Houston Texans and annually hosts the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which is like 30 NFL games crammed into a single month.
The Astrodome is less than a mile away from NRG Stadium.
But that slowly decaying facility, which once housed MLB‘s Houston Astros and the NFL’s Houston Oilers, has long been vacant and continues to occupy prime real estate in one of America’s largest and busiest cities.
Sports and Houston history once filled ‘The Dome.’
Elvis Presley performed a concert inside a venue that was once praised for its contemporary flourish and proud embrace of a new sparkling era.
Muhammad Ali, the era-changing ‘The Battle of the Sexes’ tennis match and the ‘Game of the Century’ — a nationally televised college basketball contest between the University of Houston and UCLA — are among The Astrodome’s biggest events.
A record crowd of more than 67,000 watched WrestleMania X-Seven headlined by Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock inside what was initially known as the Harris County Domed Stadium and opened to grand fanfare in 1965.
At the time, the Astrodome was far ahead of the curve in sports stadiums. Its dome was a then-contemporary marvel, air conditioning was a technological breakthrough, artificial turf was a trendsetter, and the multi-purpose venue inspired major cities across America to try and replicate the Astrodome’s versatility.
In 2005, ‘The Dome’ became a temporary living space for evacuees from Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the New Orleans, Louisiana area.
But 60 years after its unveiling, the Astrodome has been condemned and is no longer functional.
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The Astrodome, left, is now overshadowed by NRG StadiumCredit: Getty
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Rolls of turf are heaped among the ruinsCredit: Getty
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The venue was one of the most spectacular sights in sportsCredit: Getty
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New plans aim to restore its former floryCredit: Getty
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Elvis Presley is shown during a performance at the Astrodome in HoustonCredit: Getty
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Charles Barkley battles Michael Jordan in the 1989 NBA All-Star Game at the AstrodomeCredit: Getty
And that’s where things get weird.
The Astrodome can’t be torn down, thanks to the building being designated with a Texas State Historical Marker in 2018. That designation made the building a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, which is judged by the state to be historically and architecturally significant.
A push to renovate the Astrodome lost momentum in 2018.
The movement to make ‘The Dome’ usable in the 21st Century was then pushed aside due to economic concerns and the coronavirus pandemic.
But a new project run by the Astrodome Conservancy has put forward a bold $1billion plan to secure a future for the iconic arena.
“The plan would turn the Dome’s arena into a 10,000-seat event space, surrounded by retail shops, restaurants, office space and even a hotel,” a press release confirmed in March.
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Evacuees crowd the floor of the Astrodome in 2005 after Hurricane KatrinaCredit: Getty
“The vision promotes NRG Park and enhances it as an entertainment destination, addressing the primary tenants needs and enhancing the user experience for all who visit.
Since 2004, Houston has hosted two Super Bowls and multiple Final Fours.
NRG Stadium has been the home venue for those prestige events, though, while the Astrodome has become increasingly overlooked and forgotten.
The weirdest part: Online mapping shows both oversized American sports venues — which could hold almost 140,000 people combined — being separated by just 0.6 miles.
In reality, the distance is even closer.
The greying and now odd-looking Astrodome can be seen in full view simply by stepping outside of the NFL home of the Texans and looking across a small walkway.
Incredible images show biggest abandoned stadium in US ahead of $3billion redevelopment
There sits the Astrodome: Empty and useless. Â
By leaving ‘The Dome’ eerily empty, Houston has created an American anomaly.
And matters could get even more complex as the Texans organization reportedly considers moving its practice facility and team headquarters away from NRG Stadium.
Per Jonathan Alexander of the Houston Chronicle, the team is interested in building a new facility and potentially an entertainment district much like the Dallas Cowboys‘ state-of-the-art HQ at ‘The Star.’
Perhaps there is an option much closer to home…